CLUB legend Kenny Hibbitt believes Wolves are right to plump for experience in their search for a new boss.

Alan Curbishley, Steve Bruce and Neil Warnock are on a shortlist with interviews set for today.

“Wolves have got to appoint somebody who wants to be a Wolves manager, who wants to take the club forward. We have had managers appointed before who have really only been there as a stepping stone,’’ said Hibbitt.

“And I feel we have to appoint somebody who has got Wolves at heart.

“Mick McCarthy had Wolves at heart, he had been there five-and-a-half years. He really cared. You see when he made his statements after matches that he really, really cared.”

Hibbitt added: “I felt it was the wrong time to sack Mick anyway. The new guy coming in has got a lot of work to do if he wants to keep them up. He’s got no chance of bringing new faces in. He’s got to deal with the present players.

“The players were 100 per cent behind McCarthy and I think he’d have got them to the point of staying in the Premier League.

“Alan Curbishley has been out such a long time. Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock, Gary McAllister... there are people out there who could possibly come in and do a job, but whether they could do it in 13 games is a big ask. Mick should still be in charge. He’d have got them out of trouble.”

Skipper Roger Johnson says McCarthy was only five-to-ten per cent culpable for the club’s plight.

“The rest of it is down to the lads. We have let Mick down, the club down and ourselves down,” he said.

“Thankfully we’ve got enough games to get enough points to get out of trouble. We probably need six wins from 13 games and we have a good enough team to do that.’’

Sebastien Bassong could be fit for duty in ten days after a hamstring injury.

“The scan has revealed a grade one tear and Sebastien has started his rehabilitation at Compton,” said head of the medical department, Steve Kemp.

“We’ll see how he progresses but if he makes a good recovery he’ll have a chance of being available for the trip to Newcastle United.”